as in corrupting
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
by insisting that she pay me for helping her, she subverted my noble desire to do a good deed without reward
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Recent Examples of subverting
These movies are about shocking and surprising the audience by setting up an expectation and then subverting that expectation.
—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Director Wes Craven executes a masterclass in tension, shock, and subverting expectations.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Vanessa Rossetto has built her entire artistic practice out of subverting listeners’ expectations.
—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.
—
Bianca Betancourt,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
The Gucci outfits created by then-creative director Alessandro Michele that Lauro sported on stage for his 2020 participation at the Sanremo Music Festival sparked days of online conversation for subverting rigid gender norms and reimagining sacred Italian iconography.
—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
The inaugural season was about subverting expectations.
—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
In the Placer County foothills, one winery is subverting expectations and offering wine tasting experiences at a staggeringly low cost.
—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Buddy embraces the aesthetic of classic children’s television —complete with catchy songs and familiar tropes — before subverting it with a relentless descent into madness.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Director Wes Craven executes a masterclass in tension, shock, and subverting expectations.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Vanessa Rossetto has built her entire artistic practice out of subverting listeners’ expectations.
—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.
—
Bianca Betancourt,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
The Gucci outfits created by then-creative director Alessandro Michele that Lauro sported on stage for his 2020 participation at the Sanremo Music Festival sparked days of online conversation for subverting rigid gender norms and reimagining sacred Italian iconography.
—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
The inaugural season was about subverting expectations.
—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
In the Placer County foothills, one winery is subverting expectations and offering wine tasting experiences at a staggeringly low cost.
—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Buddy embraces the aesthetic of classic children’s television —complete with catchy songs and familiar tropes — before subverting it with a relentless descent into madness.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverting
Verb
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Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.
-
An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.
Verb
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Yet the more important revolution may be occurring much closer to the front, where inexpensive drones are removing personnel, disrupting logistics, degrading air defenses and redefining the relationship between mass, maneuver, and military power.
-
With fewer cars coming in, fewer sales are going out, further degrading its standing with corporate.
Verb
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Negotiating with Iran at the table, in his view, risks strengthening Iran’s role in Lebanon and weakening Lebanon’s own government.
-
Several countermeasures aimed at overturning or weakening the billionaire tax have also made the November ballot.
Verb
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The trial collapsed after the journalist was found to have tampered with evidence (he was later convicted of perverting the course of justice).
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He was also found guilty of perverting the court of justice.
Verb
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That second blaze burned charred 23,500 acres in that community, Malibu and elsewhere, killing 12 people and destroying or damaging more than 7,500 homes and businesses.
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These kinds of old negatives are often stored inside cans and are so fragile they can’t be unrolled without destroying them, Seales says.
Verb
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For healthy adults interested in safely trying the method, the nutritionist suggests mixing 1 tablespoon of plain, unflavored gelatin powder in hot water, diluting it with room-temperature water or herbal tea, and drinking it 15 to 30 minutes before a single daily meal.
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Beyond cannabis itself, alcohol and pharmaceuticals compete for the same discretionary dollar, further diluting the addressable market.
Verb
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That enables Cadence’s system, which is supervised by physicians, to alert a clinician when a patient is deteriorating before a stroke or heart attack, for example.
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By the time the kids make it to the Gullet, the situation is deteriorating.
Verb
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The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
Cite this Entry
“Subverting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverting. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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